Effect of a Complex Mineral and Vitamin Feed Supplement for Calves on Nutrient Digestibility

Abstract

In a scientific and economic experiment lasting 90 days on 4 groups of black-and-white calves, formed by the method of analogs, the effect of a complex mineral-vitamin feed supplement (CMVFS ) on the nutrient digestibility of feed in the Republic of Bashkortostan was studied. Animals of the control group received the basic diet (BD) and mineral feeds (chalk, salt, premix); I, II and III experimental groups — BD + CMVFS according to recipe No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. A distinctive feature of the recipes is the ratio of natural zeolite and sapropel in 1 kg of the supplement. It was found that the content of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, copper, zinc and cobalt in the green mass, as well as in the feed harvested from it, does not meet the needs of young animals. Significantly high digestibility of dry and organic matter relative to the control was observed in animals of group III by 3.84% (R<0.05) and 2.78% (R<0.05); crude protein — by 3.21 and 3.96% — in young animals of groups II and III (R<0.05); crude fat — by 2.83% (R<0.05) in group I, by 4.01% (R<0.05) in group II and by 5.05% (P<0.01) in group III; nitrogen-free extractive substances — by 3.24% (R<0.05) in II and by 3.67% (R<0.05) in III experimental groups. The balance of nitrogen and minerals in all experimental groups was positive. The digested and deposited nitrogen in the body corresponds to the obtained average daily live weight gain of calves. In order to balance the diets of calves in terms of macro- and microelements, we recommend vitamins to introduce CMVFS according to the recipe No. 3 into the mixture of grains at the rate of 35 g per 1 head per day.